I wanted to take a moment to give a special thanks to those who participated in a blog ad swap with me this month. This was my first time trying something like this so I'm happy there was any kind of response. Truth is I don't get hundreds and hundreds of views a day. I'm happy just to get 100! I also don't use this blog to make money. I use it to promote my shop which in turn will make me money (I hope) but I'm not one to seek out paid advertising.

REAL TALK!

Of course I want this blog to be more than just my shop but sometimes I struggle with that part. I don't like to photograph myself much so you won't see many pictures of me wearing pretty dresses from Ruche, Shabby Apple & ModCloth - because I don't own any, I wish I did. I don't get to go on many fun weekend getaways because of budget restraints so I can't share any tales like that. I'm not a very good cook and I hardly ever get the chance to cook other than the weekends and even that is rare so I have no extravagant yummy recipes to share. I don't talk much about my boyfriend here because he's a very private person and I respect that. That birthday tribute I did for him last month is the most you'll probably get.

All I have are my shops, my blog reading obsessions, a day job I am desperate to get out of and my dreams which at times I think are too far fetched for me to reach. I'm trying to chip away at the wall I've built after previously being a little *too* open online years ago. I am not knocking any other blogs that may include the stuff I mentioned above because I love visiting them, my Bloglovin' account is full of them. Just bear with me while I continue to get comfortable with my online voice. :)

It's a pretty grey day here in New York. Hopefully we will get some much needed rain. Grass is looking brown everywhere, ick. So yes, sometimes grey is a good thing, or in this case, "Gray" - since I get the spelling of the two mixed up all the time. I just wanted to share some of my favorite gray images from Pinterest, it doesn't have to be depressing. Eye candy for Friday, enjoy your weekend!

Stephanie's passion for organics grew into her business, Eden Song, where she is always striving for perfection. Her unbending purist attitude towards raw living edible natural organic ingredients has drawn clients from around the world, inspiring her to be the best she can be, and she is grateful for each and every one of you!

As Pulp Sushi continues to grow, I would like to be able to share the talent that has gone on this new journey with my new shop. So let's have it, meet Molly Shoelace!

Her whimsical, colorful motifs are inspired by her notebook doodles, daydreams, visions of love, culinary adventures, and all the strange and wonderful things that happen around her each day. Naturally she would be one of the first people I would reach out to about selling some of her work in my shop. The above are just some of the items you will find from Molly at Pulp Sushi along with her Bird Wrist Pin Cushion.

I first met Molly when we both joined The {NewNew} Etsy team back in 2008. Here's a picture of us selling at the first Holiday Handmade Cavalcade in NYC.

She has since moved to Los Angeles were MShoelace has really taken off. Thank you Molly!

I am accepting items on consignment. If you think your items might be a fit, please email at consignment@pulpsushi.com for more details, also read more about the shop wishlist here.

Bibeez Baby is all about quality, custom creations that we use everyday. A hooded towel that is larger and more absorbent, a bib that has snaps instead of hook and loop closure, burp cloths that have flair and are super soft; all handmade for your custom order.

I survived the heatwave and made it out in one piece! This week is suppose to be a little bit better I hope. It's time to share the latest with everyone. Click the images to take you to Pulp Sushi dot com but you will also find these items listed on Etsy too.

I made a new banner for the Etsy shop to tie it in with the new shop, I think it looks fun! :)

I need make up new widgets to also reflect the new image I'm working on. Lately I've been drawn to old carnival/circus imagery and that's why in the new shop I describe Pulp Sushi as a pop-nostalgic collective sideshow of handmade goods and accessories because that's the direction I'd really like to be headed. And Pulp Sushi is such a crazy name, why not? :)

I think I skipped a couple of weeks in posting about my weight-loss progress. Sorry about that. Truth is since I launched the new shop, my brain has been scattered between upping my promotion for that, my day job, Etsy that I haven't been very good at tracking my points. It's exactly what I was afraid of and what happened the last two times I was on WW. The good news is physically I am feeling better. When I first started, my body did feel "heavier" and I just felt sluggish and slow. I have not fallen into old eating habits and I feel like I am still making better decisions when I dine out. I have not gained more any more weight and kept off the pounds I have lost.

On the business front, I have been trying to figure out how to get more people turned on to Pulp Sushi besides the standard Twitter & Facebook. I recently took out an ad on Facebook for the Pulp Sushi FB page. I admit I don't like to participate in those "Fan me, I fan you" games because I only want to "like" pages on Facebook that I legitimately, you know, LIKE! And I would like people to like Pulp Sushi on Facebook for the same reason and want to keep posted. Basically the ad appears on the right column of your wall and I *only* pay for the click if the person likes the page. You can set up a budget to not go over and for how long you want the ad posted. I took out an ad on Friday and so far as of this morning have gained 20 new "fans" as a result, not too shabby.

Julie Ann has a super cute blog at www.julieannart.com where she shares what's new in her Etsy shop, giveaways and tutorials. From Orange County, CA she makes greeting cards featuring her artwork. Here are some of my favorite picks.

Brandy brings you a quirky Etsy shop, Oh Yeah Cat Heads which is just that - one of a kind clay pins/brooches and accessories that were inspired by her evil sphynx cat, Rasputin (she shares some pictures in her Etsy profile).